Curl Definition for Toddlers?

I was holding Lizzie saturdayand had an "Aha!" moment. I looked into her nest of curls and noticed her 3A/3B curls glowing in the diffused sunlight of an overcast day. She never sits very still and for ease of grooming I always have hair in one or two ponytails but for whatever reason I wanted to let her run around as a free cavebaby for the day. This post is pic heavy so sorry about that.

This looks about how our Sunday went.

It was at this moment that I realized that all of my efforts on her short life have paid off. Any tears and struggles all led up to this moment:

Tiny ringlets on a 3A/3B baby

I would like to thank her father for contributing 50% of her genes, more or less when you account for random combination. I would also like to thank Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum for being ever-present in our home. None of this would be possible without either of you.

Doing hair was a struggle before I discovered Garnier Sleek + Shine on a whim. I had tried Daily Beauty for Wildlife, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Hair Oil, Cantú Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner, Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil Treatment (from a previous Ipsy bag), Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Smoothie and Shea Moisture Kids Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Cream. There are other items I have tried but they aren't worth mentioning as they weren't the most effective, can't be easily purchased or they weren't used for curl definition, only treatments. Most of the items are things I bought for myself and decided to try out on the kids with the exception of Daily Beauty for Wildlife which at $14 a bottle I damn well was reserving for the girls because my hair would just drink it and laugh triumphantly at it.

Eva NYC is a more viscous oil that is more difficult to work with.

My search began when I received the Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil Treatment in my May 2016 Ipsy bag. Just for shits and giggles I thought I would use it on my TWA. I quickly recognized the futility of that effort and my toddler (then infant) crept into my field of view. Such a tiny amount went a super long way with her and this 10mL vial lasted me about a month. It was so easy combing through her hair that I had found a new mission in life (up till this point I had been using Johnson & Johnson's no more tangles formula which are absolute shite, btw).

$14 for 2.1Fl. Oz. Only worth it if you're trying to build up points or basket value.

Daily Beauty for Wildlife was a random purchase through Birchbox and I wasn't disappointed in the least. It did its job and hydrated both girls' hair. I picked up two bottles in one purchase with another small item to meet the $35 minimum to receive the mystery pack (to be reviewed later). Once I saw how quickly I went through the two 2oz bottles I decided I should try to find a drugstore product that was suitable. This item did get bookmarked though.

Lizzie with Day 1 hair

Liv with Day 2 curls. Shit shot because she won't sit still.

This is mine. I share if I must but it's mine.

This only gets used on Liv because it would weigh down Lizzie's hair.

Hair Oil received as a bonus to a Costco sized Orlando Pita shampoo/conditioner that I bought.

Thicker creams like Cantú and Shea Moisture are good for moisturizing but are hellacious at weighing Lizzie's hair down. The best in-shower conditioners for Lizzie are the same that I would use on myself , but I am not too overly picky. I have currently been using Orlando Pita Argan Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner (omg I love this stuff) and Eva NYC Shampoo and Conditioner on the kids (cruelty free/vegan/paraben/pthalate free) for routine washes (pictured below). The previously mentioned leave-in conditioners work better on Liv but I haven't exactly found that sweet spot for curl definition for her hair yet since she is a 3C/4A hair type. That and she is still in stubborn ass stage so she doesn't understand sitting still for pretty princess hair. expect a post once I tame that beast (the mane, not the child). I should also note that I had a chance to use the Orlando Pita Hair Oil because the little bottles came as a bonus attached to the shampoos/conditioners. That oil was my first introduction to lighter hair oils for the kids.

This product just asked for irritation.

I initially bought Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Hair Oil for myself and thought this would be a good multi-tasking product that I could use on the tots. I was pretty fucking wrong. This formula is not the best smelling. It smells like cookies and... peppermint. This hair oil worked great on their hair but it started to cause small bumps and breakouts along their neck and collar area. I've only been grudgingly using it on myself now because I find the scent so upsetting. I did not read the "peppermint" right there on the label so I basically destroyed my kids with an irritating chemical. I'm a shit.

Sorry for the bad pic but I wanted to show how much we've gone through in less than a month.

My last drugstore purchase I've made was the Garnier Sleek & Shine and I'll be honest, I wish I had found this product long ago. It smells very fruity with a bit of a citrus scent but the smell is so strong that if you're sensitive to scents then this would not be the product for you. I love the pump style dispensing design which helps me keep the bottle cleaner than the squeeze type designs. I find this hair oil moisturizing without weighing down curls and helpful with defining curl texture. Lizzie's hair also has a very healthy shine to it. I love that this is not an overly thick oil, unlike Eva NYC which was a bit of a pain in the ass to distribute freely throughout Lizzie's hair. At $4.99 I would say this was money very well spent.